September 2002/1

Good things come to he (or she) who waits There is an e-mail doing the rounds that purports to be a verbatim excerpt from the transcript of the cross examination of former HIH chief executive Ray Williams. Snide - being a persistent little fellow - sp

Allianz, Europe's largest insurer, will inject $750mn into its US subsidiary Fireman’s Fund to cover asbestos-related claims, doubling its reserves to $1.51bn.

The share prices of European insurers are tumbling as investors get the jitters over a series of worsening results and balance sheet strengthening capital raising exercises.

Or do they? A failure to compromise on wordings may lead to further disputes. In the meantime, the franchise model rolls on. In the cynical world of modern politics, it’s not unheard of for more than one side to claim victory and so it proved at the re

Bob Mendelsohn the embattled chief executive of Royal & Sun Alliance has been “ousted” from his position as the insurer manoeuvres for its rumoured forthcoming rights issue.

Shares in the world's second largest broking group, Aon, collapsed after the firm revealed below consensus earnings and details of an SEC enquiry into the firm's accounting practices. Excluding special charges, Aon's second quarter earnings would have bee

Zurich Financial Services (ZFS), has announced losses of $2bn for the first half of 2002. ZFS stated it has undertaken a thorough review of the adequacy of its non-life insurance and reinsurance reserves in consultation with an independent third party

There was a time when insurance companies were not the exciting “financial services” players they are now; they were considered stodgy businesses run by boring, grey-flannelled organization men. Working in the employ of stock insurance companies was re

Laptop, The Insider's resident Lloyd's Name, analyses the proposed Lloyd's reforms and explains why he voted 'No' at the 12 September Lloyd's EGM On 19 July, 16,000 copies of the 56- page Consultation Document were distributed by Lloyd's. The document

Lloyd’s is so excited about its dotcom project Blue Mountain which, aims to revolutionise the industry, that it has agreed to provide further funding In July ACE invested another £1mn into a revolutionary new electronic project that plans to slash cost

Benfield, the privately owned London based reinsurance broker currently debating the merits of staying private, floating or a trade sale, is rumoured to be considering a relocation to Bermuda.

European Reinsurance Company of Zurich, a subsidiary of Swiss Re, has purchased 550,000 of Trenwick's Series B Preferred Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $40mn, thereby settling the dispute between Swiss Re and Trenwick over a Catastrophe Equity